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“Powerfully Lord's Everlasting Atonement Delivers!” (P.L.E.A.D)”

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

SCRIPTURE:
“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.” (Philippians 4:2, NIV)

OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what does Paul want to see happen?
Paul wants Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

I asked myself how does Paul go about that desire?
Paul makes two pleadings:

Pleading 1: I plead with Euodia to agree with Syntyche in the Lord!
Pleading 2: I plead with Syntyche to agree with Euodia in the Lord!

INTERPRETATIONS:
I asked myself the significance of Paul's pleadings?
It is interesting that Paul's pleading deals with ministry and Paul made his pleadings public regarding the dissension between Euodia and Syntyche. Paul does not want Euodia and Syntyche to live in dissension but agree with each other in the Lord.

INTERPRETATIONS:
I asked myself, why do you think Paul addressed them together and made his pleadings public?
Paul could have addressed them individually to resolve their differences but he writes the letter to the entire Philippians making a pleading to both of them. It is as if the Philippians are to hold them accountable or it is possible that Paul is indirectly stating to the Philippians that it is not good to have conflict in ministry such as Euodia and Syntyche were having. They just could not seem to agree in the Lord. I cannot help wonder if it was something that became serious because Paul makes a pleading for that to stop. Paul wants love, joy, and peace to rule instead of dissension.

IMPLICATIONS:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
When it comes to family or ministry, I need to find common ground or agree to disagree with others in the Lord. I need to realize otherwise if the dissension continues, I hurt the body of Christ to the point that others can be involved to hold me accountable for my own good and the good of the ministry. This involvement can be public instead of private.

There have been numerous times that I have not been able to agree with others in family or ministry because I wanted my way, causing a lot of conflict. It came to the point that others had to be involved because I was not agreeing. In reality, I was a stubborn mule.

It is sad how Satan uses certain things in our lives to bring dissension with the aim to hurt the body of Christ. I don't want to be that cause. You don't want to be that cause too! Help us Jesus. Thank you Lord!

I ask you now dear friends, how do you respond to a P.L.E.A.D in life?
Dear friend, if that pleading was based for the glory of the Lord, I encourage you to go and revisit that pleading that was made. From personal experience I can tell you that if you are involved in family or ministry, the worse thing that can happen is dissension that turns to resentment, etc without having reconciliation. I know for I have been there. Imagine fighting in ministry which defeats the whole purpose of doing ministry for the glory of the Lord.

Majority of the time, I was at fault whether it was in the past or the recent present. I thank the Lord though for the restoration process my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has already begun in my life.

I am no different from Euodia and Syncthe because I have messed up badly and affected ministry but mostly the unity in the body of Christ. Lord forgive me!

Reading this verse made me think that it is not that uncommon for people to disagree even in ministry but that does not justify not agreeing with one another in the Lord. For that to happen I need to give in a little without expecting only the other person should give in.

I loved the time Pastor Hugo shared about two Christian woman who could not get along at all with each other. They would always find fault with each other even when they were at Bible study. It reminded me of Euodia and Syncte. No matter how many times the factory workers were invited to the Bible study, none of them would come because those two woman set a bad example of what it meant to be a Christian. They did not want to have any part in it until something dramatic happened. One woman went to the other woman and asked her for forgiveness for how she wronged her even though she felt wronged. In the process, both reconciled forgiving each other. Their act of forgiveness and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit impacting their lives is what drew the factory workers to the Bible study. No amount of invitation could do that until they saw changed lives. This is such a powerful story for me because it illustrates the power of being united in ministry without dissension. Thank you Jesus. 

As I reflect on that story, I am reminded that we need the Lord's help for forgiveness and reconciliation to work together. I know I badly need the Lord's help for reconciliation when I am wronged. It is easy to forgive and go our separate ways but we should expect the power of the cross through Jesus to do more in our lives, when we yield all our pain, wounds, suffering, shame, etc to the Lord. Only with the Lord's help can we live it out for we cannot do it on our own. Love, acceptance, and forgiveness started with the Lord in our lives and we need to give that to others without any strings attached. It is easier said than done even among Christians as we see Paul pleading with two women to get along but also in my own life. :(  Yet, in the Lord it can be done when my focus is on pleasing Him and Him alone and not our ego, etc.

When I asked Pastor Bucknell for advice on a topic, I knew I could not get the response I was hoping for. It was because his response was not going to be what I wanted to hear but it was going to be based on biblical foundations for freedom I need to practice from the Word of God.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!" (2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV)

Jesus said, "And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." (John 8:32, TLB)

"Jesus said, "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me!" (John 14:6, NIV)

"Thy Word is Truth" (John 17)

"Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path!" (Psalm 119)

"Jesus said, "I Am the Light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, for living Light will flood your path!" (John 8:12, TLB)

"Jesus said, 'If the Son sets you free, you are free!" (John 8:36, TLB)

&"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1)

I need to rest in the Word of God for my answers to the questions I have instead of looking to pastors or elders to hear what I want to hear as opposed to what the Word of God is telling me. My precious wife Chandraleela reminds me that pastors will not tell us what will make us happy but they have to follow the Word of God. How true that is!

Elder Calvin sent an email to me that the Lord gives us freedom to make choices in our lives but with that freedom there is also cause and effect results. If they are wrong choices, those effects will affect the whole family. How true that is when it comes to family or ministry.

"You were getting along so well. Who has interfered with you to hold you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God who has done it, for he is the one who has called you to freedom in Christ. But it takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others. (Galatians 5:7-9, TLB)

I loved what Pastor Josh shared with me in an email that I need to look to the Lord and not even pastors to excuse or justify my actions. For Pastor Josh was reminding me that even if he were to agree with me in an area but God's Word does not justify it, it will not matter because I am first and foremost accountable to the Lord and what the Word of God says. He was reminding me that forgiveness and reconciliation have to happen according to Scripture in my life and other people's lives no matter what scenarios I present whether hypothetical or real.  I realized we as humans can look for all kinds of excuses to justify our behavior but no amount of excuses will justify our actions if it goes against God's Word. So, help us Lord Jesus.

What our family has been going through only raised more questions for Pastor Mike that he wanted to have a long conversation with me soon. Whatever my wife and I are facing together in unison against the actions others maybe more than what Euodia and Syntyche faced or less than what they faced. But, it does not change the fact that we have to be obedient to God's Word regarding forgiveness and reconciliation without the strings attached. We are blessed that Pastor Hugo, Pastor Josh, Pastor Bucknell, Pastor Mike, and Elder Calvin want to help our family through these issues not giving us what we want to hear but what God's Word has to say.

I pray for our love for the Lord to be so great that every action and reaction will be through our lens of loving the Lord. As I think about the resurrection of Jesus, and how it turned around the disciples from cowardly people to bold people for Christ regardless of persecution, it reminded me of how following Jesus truly with a true surrender looks like. Help me Jesus! When we are in the Lord and focus on Him and Him alone, thanks be to God, our aim in living will be to please Him and not look for all excuses to justify dissension in family, ministry, etc.

For the Word of the Lord says, "It is better to obey God than man!"

How can a calling to ministry be lived out in my life to obey, "But life is worth nothing to me unless I use it to do the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus, the work of telling others about God's mighty goodness and love." (Acts 20:24, TLB) if I cannot show what that means to the people around me.

I need to plead with Jesus everyday to help me have the attitude, Jesus wants me to have. God's Word in Philippians 2 is so much for me. But, it is also for all humanity.

What does it mean for us that Jesus is Alive?

Is He Alive in you?

When people look at us, experience our words and actions, can they see Jesus being alive even through us because His power of love is working through us?

I want that to be the case. In our own lives, we need to be aware of how we are living because people are watching us. Our actions, our silence, our talk, our emails, etc should point people to Christ and not away from Christ. I believe that is why Paul had to plead with Euodias and Syntyche not to quarrel anymore but to be a light to those around them. We too need to be a light. Thank you Jesus! When our lives show Christ to others, others will be impacted too. That's what happened when the two women Pastor Hugo shared about forgave and reconciled. Others wanted to know how two woman who had such irreconcilable differences could come together in forgiveness and reconciliation. They all found out that it was JESUS because they surrendered their own shame, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, wounds, etc to Jesus laying it at the cross and asking Jesus to reign in their lives as Lord and Savior.

Will we trust, trust, trust things done to us to the Lord and forgive, forgive, forgive?

Or will we say, 'But you don't know what they did to me, if you knew, you would understand and not expect me to trust, trust, trust and forgive, forgive, forgive?

I liked the way ‘in the Lord’ was included to emphasize that Euodias and Syntche cannot agree with each other unless they submit their own will to the Lord and surrender their own ways so the Lord can give them the ways that benefit the Gospel. Thank you so much Jesus.

We do not see in this passage that agreement in the Lord meant they got their own way. Agreement in the Lord is not based on getting our own way but looking to the One who gave up His own life for us, for He who had no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteouness of God. Thank you Jesus!

I need to compromise in ministry, family, life, etc even if I don't always agree as long as what is being asked is not unbiblical. Help me Jesus. Otherwise, if I don't, I do hurt the body of Christ. That's why when Euodia and Syntche were having dissension, the Apostle Paul involved the Philippian church. But the key word is 'in the Lord' for me because that means a compromise will still not go against biblical principles.

I responded to the plead asking Jesus to change my ways and transform me by His grace so I don't live for myself doing my own things especially when it comes to the Lord, family, and ministry.

Friend, don’t be surprised when you have agreed with someone else for a long time and then boom everything starts to crumble. Don’t give up but try to find consensus. Even if they don't see it your way, if you live your life for God's way, His Word will never disappoint. Thank you Jesus. There is blessing in obedience to God's Word. How that blessing is revealed we may not always know or see but we can be confident in God's Word tha there is blessing. Thank you Jesus. It is amazing Jesus started out His Sermon on the Mount with the beatitudes of blessing! My favorite is 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God' and 'Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy!' 

I do not know who you have conflict or disagreements with but I want you to know as we take our confusion and reasons for disagreeing to the Lord, He will help us. The Lord can help us in different ways through His Word, His Spirit, His Church, etc to live for Him even through the conflict that pleases the Lord.  If you are having a disagreement/conflict with someone in family or ministry, hopefully a consensus can be reached to agree with one another, even to disagree, so the family or ministry can move forward. But most importantly, if your character is lived out according to Scripture, regardless of the outcome, it will be a win-win situation. Thank you Jesus!

Hopefully is not wishful thinking but can happen in the Lord. In the Lord is emphasized because true unity cannot come apart from Christ and His finished work at Calvary for our redemption. Jesus bought us with His precious blood by paying the ultimate price of agonizing death for you and me. It is at the cross, we find our redemption because at the cross, Jesus justified us by His grace through faith. It is this same grace that will sanctify us daily in Christ.

We need to depend on Jesus daily realizing He is not only our Savior but our Lord. We need to give our complete allegiance to Him and Him alone so dissension can be nipped. Eugene shared with us in the Good Friday service the prayer from John 17 that Jesus prayed before going to the cross for us and being raised on the 3rd day. The Lord Jesus plead for us as He bled on the cross to intercede on our behalf before Father God, though our lives have been filled with sin so He could rescue us. What amazing love the Lord Jesus has shown! Powerfully Lord's Everlasting Atonement Delivers!

May you depend on the Lord to guide you and lead you through the disagreements you may have with someone else so the light of Christ can shine.

“Powerfully Lord's Everlasting Atonement Delivers!” (P.L.E.A.D)/”How do you respond to a P.L.E.A.D in  life?"

PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, I read that Paul was pleading with both Euodia and Syntyche to agree with one another for your glory. You are the Lord and you have this verse in your Word for a reason. Help us Lord when we have disagreements, to come to the point of compromise with one another for your honor and glory whether it is in an area of ministry or another area as long as it is not in conflict with your Word. Even when we cannot get our way, help us to seek you for wisdom in knowing what to do remembering our priority should be to live for you according to Your Word. And Lord, help us to be unified as your children that the world may know that you are Lord. Forgive us Father God for many times we as your followers become the stumbling block for others because of our own quarrels and dissension among ourselves. We are sorry Lord. Please help us to live for you and serve you. Guide us and please lead us Lord. When you call us into ministry you call us to make a difference for your Kingdom so please help us to do that starting with our families and beyond. I pray for each one Lord who has a disagreement with someone else that you would help them be willing to resolve it with that person/s. But more than that your forgiveness in our lives will be shown to others. You reconciled us before Father God. Help us to reconcile with each other as you help us. Help us to make time to do our part and leave the results in your hands. I thank you Jesus for hearing our prayers and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)

May the Lord Jesus guide you in His love leading you! Amen!

No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help by His grace alone!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is 412-641-9426

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